Baker In The Midst

When I was younger, I once mistaken the movie title “Gorillas in The Mist” as “Gorillas in The Midst”, which left me pondering, “In the midst of WHAT?”

A teenager at the time, that kind of thinking kept my easily entertained brain busy for quite a while. Were they in the midst of a scientific breakthrough? Communication with aliens? Poo flinging turf wars? Why Coke Classic changed their formula? What could gorillas be in the midst of?

Deep thoughts; I haz them!

This past week, I almost witnessed a grown man cry over a brownie. As I mentioned earlier, I started a new job where no one knows who I am. I am a baker at heart. At my last job, they grieved me leaving not because they would miss ME, but my baked goods. Especially the cakes. So, I decided to try my new environment with a simple pan of blondie brownies. Nothing special, just flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips. The reaction I received was nothing short of remarkable. You would have thought these people had never seen a home-baked treat before.

Now I’m in like Flynn, especially with the IT bubbas.

Here Piggy, Piggy!

One of the things my husband and I have in common is our love for latin food. He's orignially from Key West, Florida, and I was born a bit north of that near Tampa, Florida. Both areas are rich in latin culture, which brings an an abundance of influence to the culinary scene. Both of us grew up with latin food in our lives as much as other kids did eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We are both very lucky to have had that kind of ethnic exposure.

His sister can make a flan that will bring tears to your eyes, and I, my friends, bring you a Spanish Roasted pork that will make you weep. It's not something to be rushed, but the end result is nothing short of ecstasy. For this, you will need:

Spanish Roasted Pork

1 Pork Shoulder Picnic (anywhere from 5-9 lbs, depending on how much you want)
1 - 2 heads of garlic, peeled (large cloves to be sliced in half length wise)
Sazon Spanish seasoning by Goya (found in the ethic section of the grocery store)
Adobo all purpose seasoning by Goya (again in the ethnic section)
4-6 T olive oil

Now, the first thing you want to do with your piggy is give it a good rinse off and pat dry. Grab a small knife, then make slits in the piggy for the garlic cloves. This little piggy was about 9 lbs., so we used about 1 1/2 heads of garlic cloves. A smaller piggy probably just needs one head worth of cloves.

Next, stick the garlic cloves in the slits you made. Be sure to do this ALL over the piggy, skin side too.

Once that is done, sprinkle anywhere from 3-5 packets of the Sazon seasoning total all over the piggy. Follow that with a LIGHT dusting of the Adobo seasoning. Be careful with the Adobo, as too much will make the piggy too salty. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place Mr. Piggy on a heavy bottomed roasting pan (not aluminum), skin side up. Add the olive oil to the bottom of the pan (or you can do that before you put Mr. Piggy in...'prolly easier). Cover Mr. Piggy and roasting pan completely with a large sheet of tin foil and roast 3-5 hours. One hour before finishing, remove the foil and continue roasting. Our piggy took the enitre 5 hours because he was so big.

Once Mr. Piggy is done, remove from the oven and slice off the top fatty skin and discard. Do not drain the grease from pan (I know this goes against everything that you've ever learned about healthy eating, but trust me...it's worth it!)

Use a fork and knife to slice/shred meat off Mr. Piggy. Discard bones.



Then toss the meat with the grease/juices, and all its porky goodness. Try not to moan too loud when you try this.


We ate ours with white rice and red beans...HEAVEN!

Under Pressure

Whew! What a week! Sorry I've been MIA, but I've been hit by a professional and physical trifecta this past week: new job, upper respiratory infection, and new thyroid meds, which make me want to climb the walls at 2 a.m. and do things like repave the driveway. Basically, I haven't slept since November.

I've worked at the same cushy government job for the past 4 years and was getting lazy. I knew I had backed myself into a professional niche, and it would be hard for me to get out of if I ever needed to find other work. Plus, hubby and I worked in the same office (yes, I KNOW...) and I'd be lying if it I didn't say it had some sort of effect on our personal life. I needed to find myself again. So I started a new job last week while trying to overcome a nasty virus (again) AND not sleep. The good thing about being over medicated on thyroid meds is not gaining an ounce over the holidays! Score!

Ur Doin' it Wrong, Or Keeping Your Lid on Tight

As I mentioned earlier, Santa brought me a new pressure cooker for Christmas and I've been all over it like Michael Jackson at a Boy Scout meeting! Turns out, I've been doing it wrong all along! The bloody user's manual sucked major green donkey weenies, and I couldn't figure out what the hell they were talking about. I thought the pressure cooker was broken because it wasn't coming up to pressure. I mean, after all, I WAS following the friggin' manual! Hey, guess what? It came with a bloody video too, and BLAM, I watched and learnt' it. I'm sooooo smrt! I wasn't putting the lid on entirely right, but now I'm back in business. Last night I made a kick-butt beef stew from a recipe I downloaded on Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker website, and I'd share it with you, but I had to pay for it! Tough bea-yach she is!

It was worth it.

Free Books!

So Santa was pretty good to me this past holiday; he even brought me a new pressure cooker! I've never used a true pressure cooker outside of pressure canning, so you know what that means? More cook books!

I go down to my local Border's book store, and they didn't have what I wanted. Friendly advice from the Jedi Masters over at The Cooking Forum (I love that place!) told me to go with any pressure cooking cook book by Lorna Sass, peticularly "Pressure Perfect". So, Border's has this thing where they will order any book (within reason) and they will call you when it comes in. Piece of cake, right? I order "Pressure Perfect" and go home with dreams of pressure cooked sugarplums dancing in my head.

About week or so goes by and I hadn't heard from Border's about my book. I call, and it hasn't come in. Out of curiosity, I turn the little computer printed order form they gave me over, and notice this:

Now I put in those little pink arrows and underlines, but I want you to pay particular attention to the red outlined box labeled "Important". Notice that it says that you might qualify for a "7 days or it's free" offer? So, I do a quick read, and according to me, I'm elligible. Here's how the dialog with the Border's employee went over the phone:

Me: "So, it says here that I'm can get my book free, since I ordered on the 28th and today is the 7th!"

Them: "Well, um, is the back of the order form signed?"

Me: "No."

Them: "Well, it isn't good unless the back is signed by a Border's employee."

Me: "Who's responsibility is ensure it's signed?"

Them: "Well, we are."

Me: "Then how am I to know that?

At this point, I get transfered to about 3 other people, and finally dicker (heh, I like that word) it out with the manager. At first, they tried to tell me it was over a holiday, so I wasn't elligible, but the order disclaimer excludes Thanksgiving and Christmas only. Then they went back to the whole "it wasn't signed" bit, but it's their job to fill the order form out, not the customer's. They dropped the ball.

So in the end, I had them and they had to offer the book to me for free. So, my friends, if you ever special order a book from Border's, make sure the back of your computer printed order form is signed (where I have the pink arrows) and count your calendar. I'm off to experiement with my new pressure cooker and some kick-ass recipes!

It's All About The Pizza, Baby!

When people come to visit Florida from out-of-state (aka "Snowbirds"), they're often shocked to find that it actually does get cold down here! Granted, we don't get the snow and ice our Northern friends do; however, it does get pretty chilly at times.

This past week, we had weather down into the teens, which is enough to make a Florida Gardner (that's me too) cry. You see, one of the perks of being down here is the benefit of two growing seasons and gardening ALL YEAR. The downside is two growing seasons and gardening ALL YEAR. A girl can get pretty darn tired, and sometimes I wish I could just pack it all up at the end of the year! So, what do we do when the weather gets frigid and our little green babies are in peril? We do the "Bedsheet Boogie" and cover our little darlings with bedsheets, clothespins, and Christmas lights. A solid freeze can end up costing hundreds of dollars, not to mention watching something you've babied all year shrivel away to mush.

Anywho, I didn't come here to talk about the weather; I came here to talk about pizza baby! When the weather turns cold, I want cheesy, melty, crunchy, carb-loaded pizza. And since we're watching our pennies, I can make my own pizza darn it! Besides, there's no limit to what you can do with a pizza; I always like more sauce.

I present to you another wonderful recipe from The Cooking Forum! I've made this a few times and it's always wonderful. The crust is a little on the thick side, which I like; however, I feel that it could use some flavor. So feel free to add some spices (garlic powder, etc.) or even a little shredded cheese to the dough when you're mixing.

Also, the key to a good homemade pizza is to NOT OVERLOAD the pizza. That means go easy on the toppings that might make the dough soggy, for example tomatoes and mushrooms. The above example was a lovely tomato and basil combo and I sliced the tomatoes really thin.

This does take some time, but it is worth it. You will need a baking stone for this, and be sure to cut the parchment paper so it won't overlap your baking stone, or else it will catch fire. Trust me!

The BEST Pizza

DOUGH
2 –cups bread flour, plus more bread flour if the dough is too wet and for dusting the work surface
1 -teaspoon instant yeast
1 -teaspoon salt
1 –tablespoon olive oil, plus more olive oil, for brushing the dough
1 -cup warm water

PIZZA SAUCE (Makes enough for 2-3, 13x18 inch pizzas)
1 (28 -ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 – minced garlic cloves
2 -tablespoons olive oil
1 -teaspoon oregano
1 -teaspoon ground fennel
salt and pepper, to taste

ORDER OF INGREDIENTS
1 -full recipe pizza dough
1 -tablespoon olive oil
2 -teaspoons dried basil (or 8-10 leaves minced fresh) -
8 -ounces mozzarella cheese, slices (use the real stuff NOT pre-shredded crap!)
1 1/3 -up to 2 cups tomato sauce (depending on whether you want a thin or medium pizza)
1 -medium onion
1 -cup sausage (precooked and browned in a skillet) -
1 -cup shredded mozzarella cheese - (shred yourself)
1 -cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Instructions:

DOUGH: In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the plastic dough blade, pulse the flour, yeast, and salt to combine; about five 1-second pulses. With the machine running, slowly add the oil, then the water through the feed tube; continue to process until the dough forms a ball, about 15 seconds. Generously dust the work surface with flour. Using floured hands, transfer the dough to the work surface and knead lightly, shaping the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a 1-quart measuring cup with cooking spray, place the dough in the measuring cup and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in a draft free place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 - 1/2 hours.
Note: I used my Kitchenaid mixer. The dough should be pliable, but not wet. If it cannot be handled or hand-kneaded, add more flour a little at a time.

PIZZA SAUCE: Mix this up while the dough is rising, giving the flavors some time to meld.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. This may take as long as 30 minutes, so allow enough time for the oven to get hot. Remove all racks except the one holding your baking stone, for easier positioning of pizza onto the stone.

BUILDING: When the dough has doubled, grease hands with olive oil and remove it from the measuring cup, placing into the middle of a lightly floured board. (A silpat placed on the work surface makes cleaning up easier.) Being careful not to deflate all the air in the dough, roll dough into a ball and set aside. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut parchment paper and set aside. Do NOT cut parchment larger than your pizza stone.

Oiling hands again, gently stretch the dough, shaping it into a large rectangle on the parchment paper. With palms, stretch and flatten the dough until it takes the shape you want it to have, keeping a slightly thicker edge for the crust. Dock the surface of the dough with your fingers to "texture" the surface and hold the toppings. Oil the dough before building the pizza. Place finely cut (or dried) basil across the top of the dough. Add Mozzarella cheese slices on top of the basil. Spread a thin, even layer of the pizza sauce, adding onions, pork sausage (or your choice of ingredients), shredded Mozzarella and mild cheddar over the top of the dough. You can really use any toppings you'd like.

BAKING: Position the baking stone on the bottom rack of your electric oven, or on the floor of your gas oven. Lift the parchment paper and slide onto the bottom of a sheet pan, then quickly slide pizza onto the baking stone. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the crust are browned. Check the bottom of the pizza for doneness before removing from the oven. Using tongs, transfer pie onto oven rack and set aside to cool a few minutes. Cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy!

A New Year

Oh my. That was hectic. One minute you’re toodling right along, and the next…BAM! Here comes another year!

I can’t say that Christmas and the New Year were the best, in fact it they both really stank. You see, I found out that hubby had certain financial responsibilities that he wasn’t really taking care of. He wasn’t exactly ignoring them, but he wasn’t taking them seriously enough, and now they’ve gotten out of control. All along I was under the belief that he had things as good-as-gold, but he didn’t and plans for the New Year have changed.

Some of the changes are for the better (a new financial planning approach), and some a little more depressing (staying in sucky Florida for another year). You see, ever since we went to the Pacific North West last year for our honeymoon, we both completely fell in love with the area and decided THAT was the place for us. We had a plan to transition jobs and physical locations. We’ve kept an eye on the housing market here and the job market there. We’ve started sending resumes; we have no children, and didn’t have significant debt. We have good jobs and advanced degrees. Piece of cake.

Or so I thought.

I understand what happened. I understand this new debt ($25k) wasn’t spent on trivial things; it was spent on needed things (not wanted), but I still feel betrayed. I did all the right things before we got married: I checked his credit score, saw what bills he was paying, and how much he brought in. But somehow, he didn’t feel safe to tell me what was happening in between that time and now. So here we are; concerned for the future, and me a bit bummed and hurt.

I wish I had more positive things to share with you right now dear readers, but time will settle things down and another year will have its way.

Beans, Beans, Good for Your Heart...

Ah, beans. Gotta love the little gassy devils! I love just about every bean and/or lentil that crosses my path; however, just like the Alka Seltzer commercial; they don't always love me back. It sucks getting old. Dutch oven!

Ha! Just kidding (not really). Anywho, it's a strange thing that sometimes I make a tasty beanie dish and I'm fine, but other times, I'm tootin' right along. My favorite bean dish is an exquisite Mediterranean number that I can eat happily cold or at room temperature. It's great as either a side dish or as the main act, and it simply sings for a glass of red wine for accompaniment.

The original recipe called for cannelloni beans (no go for me), then I tried Northern beans (can I get a toot-toot?). However, I've yet to try this with chickpeas, but I bet that would be wonderful too. I usually make this when hubby is out of town on a business trip. No prisoners darlings!

Tomato, Basil, and White-Bean Salad

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 cans (19 oz) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
½ lb small roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup EVOO
3 garlic cloves, minced (sometimes I use 4-5...I love garlic)
Juice from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, and dust with salt and pepper. Roast eggplant till lightly toasted; remove from oven and cool. Combine beans, tomatoes, basil, and salt in a bowl, and season with pepper. Dice cooled eggplant and add to bean mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee garlic and cook, stirring till fragrant, but not browned, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Pour over bean mixture, add lemon juice, and gently toss. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Salad can be covered and kept at room temp for up to 4 hours.

The Best Thing on Sliced Bread

Want to make something that takes you back to memories of apples, cinnamon, and all things good? Then my friends, I will submit to you my most favorite canning recipe (at the time being): Apple Pie Jam

This jam is so completely different from all others, yet so simple and well rounded. It will make you swoon. I did. Best of all, if you take the lid(s) off and microwave this loverliness in the microwave, you have the most fan-friggin-tastic ice-cream sauce. Pour it over vanilla ice-cream with some graham cracker crumbs, and you will slap your booty and say, "Day-yumm!"

This recipe is another jem from The Cooking Forum and I give many props to Linda Lou for sharing it with us.

Linda Lou's Apple Pie Jam
Makes 5, half pints

4 cups tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 box pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter

Add water to chopped apples to measure 4 cups total. Measure sugars and set aside. Place apples and water into large, heavy saucepan. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice. Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in both sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

I'm not Doing so Bad!

The James Beard Book Awards Committee has released a list of their top 20 cookbooks in honor of their 20th anniversary. Hmmm, let’s see…I have about 5 of these at home. I guess I have good taste! How many do you have? What do you think of these books if you have them?

1. American Cookery by James Beard (BBS Publishing, 1996).

2. Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico by Rick Bayless (William Morrow, 2007).

3. Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens, 2004).

4. Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni (William Morrow, 1980).

5. Complete Techniques by Jacques Pepin and Leon Pererr (Black Dog and Leventhal, 2001).

6. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan (Macmillan, 1995).

7. How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bittman (Wiley, 2006).

8. The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker (Scribner, 2006).

9. The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Book (Countryman Press, 2003).

10. Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts by Maida Heatter (Andrews McMeel, 1999).

11. Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, 1999).

12. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Knopf, 2001).

13. The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes by Barbara Tropp (William Morrow, 1996).

14. The New Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron Educational Series, 2007).

15. The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson (Oxford University Press, 2007).

16. Rick Stein's Complete Seafood by Rick Stein (Ten Speed Press, 2004).

17. The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso (Workman, 2007).

18. The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes and Down-Home Barbecue by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (William Morrow, 2002).

19. Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison (Broadway, 2007).

20. The Way to Cook by Julia Child (Knopf, 1993).

He Lived

Update: Hubby made it home fine last night. He "forgot" to call. I beat him with an empty wrapping paper roll.

Sheesh.

A Party and A Funeral

Tomorrow morning I have a funeral to attend. This is the second one I've been to this year, and I have to tell you; it's been a strange year. The funeral for tomorrow is for a coworker that I worked with not to long ago. It's a strange situation, but she had some serious health problems and it's thought that she overdosed on drugs and alcohol. She just couldn't take it anymore. Very sad.

This is a depressing thing to go into just before the holidays. My mind starts to panic and wander and it doesn't help that hubby is on a business trip with plans to come home tonight. I spoke to him around noon today and he said he would call from the airport before his flight. His flight was supposed to leave around 8 p.m. and I haven't heard from him. It's almost 9 p.m. He never says he's going to call and then not. Never.

So, to keep myself busy and from turning into Chicken Little, I'm wrapping Christmas presents. I drive myself crazy by asking, "Am I wrapping for a dead person?" That's fucked up, right? I know I have issues, so let's not go there. Anyway, when he gets home, I'm going to kill him! I mean, who goes on a business trip 3 weeks before Christmas to an area with bad weather and not call??!

And then to end a weird, manic day, we're going to a Christmas party tomorrow night! Strange days indeed.

I Can Haz a Hiztory?

Oh, hai. So this teh story of cheezeberger?

And the Skies Parted; Angels Sang

A miracle of miracles happened this weekend my friends. For the very first time, out of my many attempts, I successfully made marmalade. I’m talking no pectin here. Real, honest-to-God marmalade. This may not sound like much, but for me, it was a sign of hope.

You see, I have a shady history with marmalade. For the longest time, I’ve labeled myself as “Marmalade Challenged” in the canning and preserving department. Every year it seems I would offer my sacrificial offerings to the Marmalade Gods, and be rewarded with either some sort of syrup or something completely inedible. Every other canning or preserving project I’ve set out to try has turned out beautifully, except marmalade. It always eluded me. I could never figure out what I was doing wrong. If I were Mel Gibson, marmalade would be my rocking chair from the movie The Patriot.

And it was so disappointing. I live in Florida. I have friends and family who willingly GIVE me free access to all sorts of wonderful, fresh, organic citrus fruit year round. I’m talking Key Limes, Kumquats, Persian Limes, Grapefruit, Honey Bell Tangelos, Navels, Tangerines, Meyers Lemons, and many more. There they sat. Taunting me.

I’ve read somewhere that expectations are just premature disappointments, so this year, I let go of any expectations. I figured it was time for another batch of “Maybe Orange Marmalade”, which by the way, made a fabulous syrup for Asian sauces and flavoring for buttercream icing. So, off I went. I found a reliable recipe, followed it to the letter, and to my thrill, found it starting to come to the gel stage towards the end of processing. Eureka! Of course, I haven’t tried the final, canned product (only what I tasted on a spoon), and it was fabulous. But at least I’m on the right track!

Orange Marmalade
(makes 7-8 half pints)

4 med oranges (I used a slightly sour Honey Bell Tangelo. Try to stay away from overly sweet oranges like Navels)
2 large lemons
8 cups water
8 cups sugar

Cut each orange and lemon in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the oranges and lemons into very thin slices. You could probably use a mandoline, but I’ve never had much success with mine using citrus. Place the citrus slices and any reserved juices into a large stockpot. Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and add the sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Place a lid on your pot and let the orange mixture sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, bring orange mixture back to a boil, then lower temperature to a steady simmer. Simmer orange mixture for 2 hours, stirring often. After 2 hours, bring heat back up to medium-high and boil for 30 minutes to gel stage (220 degrees). The orange mixture should have a dark golden orange color. Ladle hot orange mixture into prepared canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

All Dressed Up For Christmas

Oh, and the mustard I made earlier was a bust. The Oktoberfest mustard still tasted awful, but the Ginger Garlic mustard improved quite a bit and has good potential. I’ll post that recipe soon. Till next time darlings!

Theme Day?

You know, I've been thinking about having a theme day here at JTRS, but I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what I want to talk about besides food.

I know! How about a "William Shatner Tuesday"? Yes? No? One can never have enough William Shatner in their lives, don't 'cha know.

Zexy!

How'd It Go?

Well, we made it. We made it through the fuss and muss in the kitchen, the cleanup, the…ugh, leftovers. We made it through the “fun” in dysfunctional family members, Black Friday, and “The After Thanksgiving 5” (the five pounds you inevitably gain). Whew!

As I mentioned earlier, hubby and I had the day all to ourselves. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel your pain. I knew you were working hard, dear readers, and I was there with you in thought and prayer. I’ve been there too. Oh yes. I have.

This past year has been more than hectic for both of us, so we just thought we’d pull into ourselves and stay close to home. It was worth it and quite a treat. But since Thanksgiving is the Holy Grail of holidays for us foodies, I couldn’t let the day pass without putting in some effort.

Now, some people are pretty much forced to stay within the comfort zone of cuisine for Turkey Day. Heaven forbid you don’t make the dreaded Green Bean Casserole, or Aunt So-and-So’s favorite dressing. But I think that’s comfort in itself. There is comfort in tradition, and it’s one of the few things we can rely on and look forward to each year. I usually make a big batch of brandied cherries every year. Last year I didn’t and I thought there was going to be a mutiny. “Ye’ will walk the plank for such insufferable grog! Arrrgh!”

I think they just wanted the booze.

Others like to experiment and try new things. I’m in that camp for sure. Whether it’s a new appetizer or side dish, Thanksgiving is the one time I’m pretty much guaranteed to have a captive audience and honest feedback. So true to form, I tried two new dishes, even if it was just the two of us. The first was a Potato and Gruyere casserole; sort of like a grown-up scalloped potatoes. Second was a Tried-and-True goodie that’s been haunting The Cooking Forum for several years and I just never got around to making it. It’s called Cranberry Jezebel and I could have eaten a whole bowl by myself. Where have I been?

Potato and Gruyere Casserole
Recipe Source: Southern Living

Note: The jury is still out on this dish. I can’t decide if this was “special” or if it was a waste of a healthy wedge of gruyere. Try it; you might like it.

12 med Yukon gold potatoes
2 tsps salt, divided
2 T butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded Gruyere (may sub Swiss or Cheddar)
Cream sauce

Peel and thinly slice pototoes. Bring potatoes, 1 tsp salt, and water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan. Cook 8-10 minutes; remove from heat; drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over med-high heat, add chopped onion and sauté 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Layer half the potatoes in a large 13x9-inch greased baking dish, sprinkle with ¼ tsp of salt & ¼ tsp pepper. Top with half each of the onions, Gruyere, and cream sauce. Repeat layers once, ending with cream sauce. Bake at 350 for 1 hours and 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cream Sauce

¼ cup butter
1/3 cup all purp flour
2 ½ cups milk
1 cup dry white whine
¼ tsp salt

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and wine; cook over med heat, whisking constantly, 18-20 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt.

Cranberry Jezebel

Note: This was SOOO good!

12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 c. water
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3 Tablespoons horseradish
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

Wash and pick over the berries. Put water and sugars in saucepan (large enough to prevent boil over) and bring to a boil, add berries and return to a boil, cook on medium for 15 to 20 minutes from the time it returns to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cool to lukewarm then stir in horseradish and Dijon mustard. Refrigerate for a few hours at least and enjoy!

Additional Notes from others: Reduce the amount of white sugar and substitute some fresh-squeezed orange juice for some, or all of the water. I also like to add a couple tablespoons of Cointreau. Sometimes I'll stir in a little orange zest along with the horseradish and Dijon.

This is It!

This is it. This is the time where many self-proclaimed foodies are frothing at the mouth and pacing their kitchens with nervous anxiety. There may even be a few panic attacks thrown in. Definitely exhaustion. Many are cooking for “T-Day” even as I write this post.

Me? I’ve been sick. Yesterday, I spent the entire day on the couch watching (hallucinating?) a full weekday’s worth of the Food Network. This was a rare treat for me, as I usually am entirely too busy on the weekends or weekday evenings to indulge. But thanks to a virus going around the office, I was forced to remain supine for several days straight. What better way to spend the time than to watch the unfolding Thanksgiving Day Frenzy?

Every single show was zeroed in on prepping, roasting, and baking for the big day. With the exception of Tyler Florence (he made some outstanding meatballs and spaghetti), I was fascinated by all the different bird roasting going on and varieties of stuffing and dressing. See, I could never understand the difference. I guess stuffing goes into the bird, and dressing is cooked on the outside. Maybe I’m wrong. Growing up, we always called it stuffing, no matter how it was cooked.

Alton Brown did his brining. Robin Miller cut her bird up into pieces prior, which allowed for faster roasting time. Ina Garten roasted straight on the pan (no roaster rack?). And the ever efficient Rachel Ray didn’t’ waste any time and roasted two gorgeous turkey breasts. No pieces-parts for that lady; no siree!

Speaking of Rachel, somewhere in my over-the-counter cold and flu induced hallucinations, I had a dream that I was on the Rachel Ray show. We were laughing, and she told me a joke. I responded, “Get right out of town!” and we laughed some more. Then she said, “Your face is so red right now!” and we laughed again. Then I woke up and rolled over to see Rachel on t.v.; she was grating some carrots for a leftover turkey shepherd’s pie or something. That’s some damn good cold and flu medicine!

Then there was the stuffing-dressing sessions. Rachel made “stuffin’ muffins” where the stuffing was scooped into individual muffin tins and baked. Each person got their own “stuffin’ muffin”. Then there was the onslaught of ingredients: nuts, carrots, apples, oysters, onion, celery, rice, etc. It seems stuffing-dressing can be just about anything as long as it has bread. Everyone has their own recipe. Me? I prefer my mom’s sausage stuffing, which is really simple and of course, my favorite.

Hubby and I will be having ham and scalloped potatoes. It’s just the two of us this year, as the family will be celebrating further south. Whatever you’re doing, and however you’re making it, I hope you and your family have a safe, blessed, and happy Thanksgiving.

Back to the couch!

I Don't Know Who Beatty Is...

Oh, chocolate. Oh, chocolate. You are my favorite cake flavor of all. From the moment you’re mixed into a sinful batter, to the decadent frosting, you have me dancing around the kitchen like a giddy school girl. And then, in a glimpse; I’m a woman, and have urges to do naughty things with you that involve my husband. Oh, chocolate; where have you been?

I can’t remember the last time I made a chocolate cake. There’s something about it that immediately takes me back to childhood; with smudged faces, and lots of giggling. Big, sloppy kisses. It’s no wonder that eating chocolate makes you happy; it evokes the same rush you feel when you’re in love. Sigh.

Now, I’m a pretty lucky girl. Not only does the company I work for tolerate me bringing in my baked goods on regular basis; they actually pay me to bake the monthly birthday cake. Sweet! So, this month, I had a special request to make a chocolate-chocolate cake. Where, oh where, do I start? There are a million chocolate cake recipes out there!

As it went, I started with a reliable source in Ina Garten. I like Ina. She’s elegant, simple, quality, and has an affinity for kosher salt, which is alright by me. In her latest book, “Barefoot Contessa at Home,” I found heaven in a chocolate cake recipe created by a woman named Beatty. Now, I don’t know who Beatty is, but she sure makes a mean chocolate cake! Friends, this has got to be the best chocolate cake yet. I'm talking the best I've ever had. Repeat.

I’ve. Ever. Had.

And let me tell you, in my 20 years of baking; I’ve made a lot of chocolate cakes. This cake wasn’t too rich, too sweet, or overwhelmingly chocolatey. It was simply perfect: dark, moist, had a zen balance between the icing and the cake, and was darn easy to make!

So, as I skip around the kitchen, licking the leftovers off the mixer paddle, I will leave you with this wonderful recipe. Please make it; you won’t be disappointed. Beatty, whoever you are; I thank you.

Beatty’s Chocolate Cake
Recipe source: “Barefoot Contessa at Home”

1 ¾ All purpose flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup good cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
½ cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans for baking (butter, flour, etc.). Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into your mixing bowl. Mix using a paddle attachment on low speed until combined. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Next, add the coffee and mix until combined; scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (it will be a very wet batter), and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

6 ounces of good semisweet chocolate (I used chips and they worked fine)
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature (I used large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 T instant coffee powder

Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup and melt over a double-boiler. I used the microwave for the chips and that worked fine for me. Be careful not to introduce any water into the chocolate when melting, or it will seize. After melted, set chocolate aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat at medium-high speed with a paddle attachment until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue to beat for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping the mixer bowl down with a rubber spatula. In a small glass, dissolve coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of very hot tap water, then add to butter mixture. Add chocolate to butter mixture and continue to beat at medium speed until thoroughly combined. Don’t whip! Spread immediately onto cooled cake.

Mean Mrs. Mustard

…Works in the shop,
She never stops,
She’s a go-getter…

I know that verse is about a woman named Pam, but I couldn't get that song out of my head when thinking of a title for this post. Ahem.

I love long weekends. One of the benefits of working for the government is the government holidays. I have tomorrow off, which is Veterans Day, and that makes for a nice, long weekend. This means I have more time to experiment in the kitchen and play with savory and spicy concoctions like mustard.

You see, I wanted to try a different approach this holiday season when it came to gift giving. For the past few years, I’ve been giving home preserved goodies in the form of jellies, jams, relishes, and salsas as small gifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They weren’t much, really. Just a little extra something outside of the ordinary cookie swap or holiday greeting card. It’s taken a little while to get my coworkers used to home preserved goods. I remember the first time I brought some in to give away; they looked at me like I had grown antlers out of my head. I guess people in Florida don’t can as much as they do up in the Midwest or further north, but now my coworkers snatch up any and everything I’m willing to share. They know a good thing now!

So this year, I thought I’d try my hand at mustard and maybe some other homemade condiments. Everyone loves ketchup and mustard, right? The new Ball Blue Book, “The Complete Book of Home Preserving” came out last year and included some spiffy new recipes for home preserved mustard. I decided to try the Ginger Garlic Mustard and the Oktoberfest Beer Mustard. My overall opinion of both mustards was meh. They both tasted especially bitter and not very mustardy at all. The mustard seeds I used were fresh from Penzey’s Spices, so I know the ingredient quality was there. Anyway, I’m glad that both recipes only made 4-5, 4 oz. jars, so at least I don’t have a million of these little jars to give away.

I’ve heard these things need to “age” a little while, so I’ve a little time to wait and see. If you're one of my family or friends reading this, try to act surprised when you get one of these as a gift, 'kay?

Big, Fat Juicy Ones!

When I was a little girl and went to the local Girl’s Club after school, we used to sing this really disgusting song about eating worms. It went something like this:

Nobody likes me;
Everybody hates me;
I’m gonna eat some wor-or-orms.

Big, fat, juicy ones!
Long, skinny, slimy ones!
Itsy, bitsy, fuzzy, wuzzy wor-or-orms!

Well, this past week, my friends, I ate some big, fat, juicy worms. First, they were gently poached in a sea-salt seasoned (nice alliteration!) bath. Next, they were generously tossed with some homemade pasta sauce, courtesy of Marcella Hazan, “The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”. Finally, they were dusted with freshly grated Romano cheese, and eaten with gusto. Yum!

Are you kidding me? Actually, I decided to make gnocchi from scratch. Remember the roasted turkey from last week? Well, you have to have mashed potatoes with roasted turkey, which left me with said leftovers for gnocchi. Marcella describes how to roll the gnocchi dough on the back of a fork and then finish with some sort of flicking action, but I didn’t get the hang of it. My gnocchi came out looking like worms. If fact, I commented they looked so much like bot fly larvae that I won’t go near the things. I can’t eat them. Just the sight of the doughy little dumplings staring back at me from their Tupperware container in the refrigerator makes me want to run around the kitchen and flap my arms.


In case you’re interested, I followed a gnocchi recipe I collected from a Williams and Sonoma catalog last year. It’s pretty good, and very easy to make, if you can get over the whole worm thing.

Homemade Gnocchi
Recipe from Williams and Sonoma

4 large russet potatoes, about 2 1/4 lb. total
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
Fresh tomato sauce for serving

Directions: Peel and prepare the potatoes as you would for mashed potatoes. Place the prepped potatoes in boiling water and cook until fork tender. When potatoes are ready, remove them from the boiling water and process through a potato ricer or chinois. It is important to have completely lump-free mashed potatoes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot over high heat, bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil. Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured kitchen towel or paper towels. Mound the potatoes on a lightly floured work surface and make a well in the center. Pour the eggs into the well. Season the potatoes with salt, nutmeg and white pepper. Sprinkle 1 cup of the flour over the potatoes. Using a fork, gradually blend the eggs with the potato mixture. Using your hands, mix the dough, adding more flour as needed to form a firm but moist dough; do not overwork. The mixing process should take no more than 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 3⁄4 inch thick, flouring the work surface as needed so the dough is not too sticky. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces and gently roll each piece on a gnocchi ridger. Place the gnocchi on the prepared baking sheet. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the tomato sauce. Working in batches, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Late to the Party

For the past year, I’ve watched the whole No Knead Bread craze from afar. I was skeptical dear readers, as is my nature when something appears to be too easy. You see, several years ago, I wanted to learn how to make bread. I mean really learn how to make a good loaf of bread. I had dabbled a little into bread making when I was a chef, but never had the chance to really get the hang of it, so I decided that it was time to get my feet wet.

Whenever I want to learn about something that really interests me, I jump in completely. I almost become obsessed. I buy and read books, I find online forums, I watch videos, I read blogs, I pick people’s brains; it’s all consuming. So, two years ago I did just that with bread. For a whole year, I made bread from scratch every weekend. The King Arthur Flour website became my favorite haunt. I nurtured poolishes, and sour dough starters of every shape and size. I bought a baking stone and a baking peel. I had a large assortment of flours and grains, depending on what I was in the mood for or what I wanted to tackle next. I had bread baking containers of every size and element. My husband was in heaven. Who wouldn’t want homemade, fresh bread every weekend?

So when I felt comfortable with what I had learned and experienced, I backed off. I never wanted to become a bread making expert, but just wanted to really learn it well. You know, just in case. But most importantly, I wanted to understand the science behind bread baking. I’m kinda nerdy that way.

So, this weekend I decided to give this No Knead Bread thing a try, and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a good loaf of bread! I knew it would be good because it sang the Crackling, Cooling Bread Song after I pulled it out of the oven. What’s that? You aren’t familiar with the Crackling, Cooling Bread Song? Well, when a rustic loaf of bread is baked to perfection, it makes crackling noises as it cools; the signal to a perfect, crunchy crust. It’s a beautiful thing!

So, if you haven’t joined the party darlings, put on those cute little sling-back heels and your best cocktail dress and come on over! Fashionably late is so couture!